Assault on Kiev: Russian helicopters swoop above Ukraine's capital
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31
Oh Koh Phi Phi, What have you become?
Ok little boy. Hope your mum picks you up soon. -
30
My agent failed to inform me that I cannot file my 90 days report later than 7 days
It's not that simple really; is it? -
31
To the people that hate my topics..
Ahhhhh. There we go. 2 plus 2 innit. Mark The Wang. -
40
How often do you shave?
My face is always itchy after shaving. Why I never do it daily. -
122
Analysis Thailand in Trouble: Expats Exit as Vietnam Steals the Show
You seem to have a real axe to grind, but are lacking facts to back up your theme. 1. Yes, there are two prices for some things here. But local people pay taxes and vote, so they make many things dirt cheap. Does this two-tier pricing affect the standard of living for the farang? NO, it would be nice, as it always is, to pay less, but I haven't done anything to pay for these parks and museums, so I pay when I use them. I have only been coming here since 2004, and the entire time, there was this pricing, so it is wrong to say this is new. 2. Has the retirement Visa gotten more difficult? NO. I pay someone to deal with the problems, and if the farang can not afford to pay, then they should either put up with the inconvenience or leave. Could it be easier and more straightforward, yes. I would suggest that they should just let us pay 25,000 baht per year and not require a bank account. 3. Has the nightlife gotten worse in any way? NO, the problem is that seeing the same show over and over gets boring. The show hasn't changed, the viewer has. There have been articles on this site about women getting less desirable. If you wander around Pattaya and you can not find a woman you want to have sex with, then you are gay, face it. Yes, there are some older women, but have these people complaining looked in the mirror in the last 20 years? Some of the customers are not looking for a "happy ending" but for a more long-term relationship. 3. Is Vietnam cheaper than Thailand? Yes, but if your overriding concern is the cost of living, then you should go, and no one will complain. There are so many other things that go into deciding where to live. I live in Jomtien. I have a very large, nicely furnished two-bedroom apartment with an enormous balcony overlooking the beach on a high floor of the condo building with a panoramic view of the ocean. It has high-speed internet, cable, and cheap electricity. I can shop at the local grocery store or drive 10 minutes for Lotus, or either of the two wholesale stores that are like Costco in the States. I can have almost anything delivered. The private hospital here is world-class, and the prices are reasonable for the services. The cost of all this luxury is 1/3 of what it would cost in the States, if I could even find it. I don't need a car because Bolt only charges less than $ 3 USD to get across town. But if I wanted a car, they are inexpensive, and the insurance is dirt cheap by US standards. There is a major airline hub several hours away. I can easily afford to eat out every night. 4. You complain that Thailand is not friendly. I would really suggest that you look in the mirror. If people are not friendly to you, you should look at how you are treating them. I have only lived here for two years, but I was only treated badly twice in that time. One was a Bolt driver who didn't see me at the intersection, and so she drove past me and yelled at me when I got in the car. Considering the hundreds of Bolt rides I have taken, that certainly compares to NYC taxi drivers. And an Immigration officer because she didn't believe I was as old as my form said. Finally, it came out that her father was 20 years younger than I and didn't look as good. She profusely apologized. I am a guest in their country. I am a loud American, yet they put up with me. 5. Could they make me feel more loved by making the retirement visa process easier? Yes, and I hope they will realize that we retirees try everything we can to get our friends and family to come as tourists. We are more effective than the Thai Tourist Authority. 6. Could we do more for them? Yes, I would highly recommend that they expand assisted living facilities. I am sitting on well over 10,000,000B just because I might have to move into a retirement facility in the States, and while my income will pay the monthly payments, there is a large down payment. I don't know what I am going to do when I get much older, but it would be very nice if Thailand had luxury retirement facilities in Pattaya, and if they did, I could double my monthly expenditures. But Thailand doesn't seem to realize that not all retirees are "cheap charlies" and are, in fact, gold mines. Articles like this make it more difficult for them to see that we are the gift that keeps on giving. -
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